The Population of the UK explains how geography - in the widest sense - makes a difference to life outcomes. It explains the geographical differences in key socio-economic variables - like education, health, and work - that illustrate the UK's stark social inequalities and affect everyone's lives.

Written for undergraduate students across social science disciplines, this unique text presents a social geography of the UK which:

Contains over 100 maps. These are drawn in proportion to the numbers of people being depicted and so represent the human geography of the UK in a fair way.

Visualises quantitative evidence. The very latest statistics from numerous sources - including the 2010 election - reveal the many aspects of the underlying geographical structure of society in the UK.

Relates geographies of identity to geographies of inequality, mortality, work, and settlement, and in a final chapter shows how the UK's population fits in to the world picture of who has most of what, and where.

Using the most advanced cartographic techniques of social mapping employed anywhere in the world, The Population of the UK explains the nuts and bolts of UK population in comparative context.

A note on data: Much of the data comes from 2010 and 2011. However, because as yet only the age and sex data from the 2011 census has been released the book shows 2001 patterns where only census data can reveal it. As 2011 census data is released, Danny plans to update the maps on-line.

Maps

Birth

Education

Identity

Politics

Inequality

Health

Work

Home

Abroad

Future

Fold-Out Map

You will be encouraged to build your own alternative theories of social policy and human geography. For that is what Daniel Dorling has done: build a documented story that questions many standard interpretations and identifies new ways of seeing the worldLudi SimpsonPresident of the British Society of Population Studies and Professor of Population Studies, The University of Manchester

Danny Dorling has already established himself as our leading human geographer - and a doughty fighter for a more just society. This book will provide readers with a powerful and new way of understanding the shape of their country, and how their country shapes themMatthew TaylorChief Executive, RSA

Dorling has written an excellent book using statistics and maps to cast light on what it means to live in the UK today. This is engaging and thought provoking material for any reader, and especially for studentsHetan ShahExecutive Director, The Royal Statistical Society

This is a book demanding action in a number of ways. It is commendably rich in quantitative evidence, but the author claims that it is not purely objective: he sets out his interpretation of the data in the context of his own railing against inequalities. The evidence is a call to arms against inequality's human origins. We can do better, he says: just look at the abstentions in voting patterns. We can do better: which social policies would you pursue as an MP (or next time you vote for one)? We can do better: how will you use geographical data to help change people's minds?

The 2011 census results were being released as the book was being published. They provide plenty of scope for students to check out and update Dorling's social patterns of the UK. This is a book that encourages by example a do-it-yourself approach to data analysis in human geography, emphasising the analyst's own responsibility to display evidence clearly, to openly construct interpretations of data, and to focus on human responsibility for maintaining or changing those patterns.

Ludi SimpsonLSE Review of Books

This book is recommended for all of my HNC/D students its gives a learner an understanding of the shape of the UK in contemporary society. This book helps learners to visualise evidence in a meaningful way. The book highlights and uses up to date statistics. This is a must for social science students this books cover so many topics essential for social science learners such as, birth education identify health politics contrasting home and abroad. A jolly good read !

This book provides a very useful examination of demographic data informed by 2001 National Census statistics. However, the data could have been enhanced by providing more than just an overview of ethnicity and demography.

This book is extremely useful as a quick overview of the topic, especially for students with limited prior exposure to geography and statistics. It has proven quite valuable as a cheap and readable background text on spatial distribution of poverty.